Memorial jewelry using a precious metal pliable moldable substance

ABSTRACT

A method of creating memorial jewelry using a precious metal pliable moldable substance and combining it with ash from cremated animal or human remains.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This patent claims priority based upon the filing of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/696197 on Jul. 1, 2005.

FEDERAL FUNDS NOTICE

No Federal money or grant was used in the development of this invention.

BACKGROUND

Far into the distant past, it is known that the living have attempted tomemorialize those who have passed on from this world. Early literaturerefers to the keeping of a lock of hair of the deceased, and gravestonemarkers are usually made of a long lasting material such as stone.According to Buddhist sources, the Buddha's cremated remains weredivided among eight Indian rulers, who enshrined them in reliquarymounds known as “Stupas”. For thousands of years, the ashes of certainliving Buddhas, feudal lords and people of high status have had theirbone ashes mixed with mud and rubbed into mud balls which are thenburied in a coffin. Recently there has been a trend towards the creationof articles of manufacture which contain actual parts of the decedentloved one.

For instance, “Reef balls,” which are hollow concrete cones cast withgrapefruit size holes in them, are widely bought by costal states andused to create fish habitats offshore. Now, some persons after cremationare having their ashes mixed with concrete and formed into “Reef balls”which are then deposited on the ocean floor.

This invention is directed to a way to create memorial jewelry using acommercially available substance known by such names as “Clay ContainingPrecious Metal”, “Precious Metal Clay®” or “Art Clay®” and combining itwith ash from cremated animal or human remains. These “Clays containingprecious metals” are not really clay however. They are more accuratelydescribed as “Precious Metal Pliable Moldable Substances” which consistof extremely fine, precious metal powder, suspended in an organicbinder. When heated to a high temperature, the binder burns off and themetal powder fuses together, leaving behind a solid piece of pure silveror gold. For purposes of this application, the term “clay containingprecious metal” or similar terms wherever used are meant as synonyms forthese Precious Metal Pliable Moldable Substances regardless of how theyare described by their commercial names.

RELATED ART

U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,720 (Yamamoto) discloses a portable tomb containingDNA fragments of tissue sealed in a transparent container.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,564,369 and 5,836,265 (Barber) describe “Reef Balls”.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,028 (Volpe) describes a portable modular underwaterburial marine habitat utilizing reef balls which can contain humanremains.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,785,938 (Johansen) discloses a crematory urn in theshape of the deceased.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,463 (Hojaji) discloses a method to convert ashes orother remains into solid objects requiring precise calcining, additivesand homogenization.

However none of these patents has the simplicity and ease of use thatthe present invention does for creating memorial jewelry.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is for a very efficient process to create memorialjewelry out of commercially available Precious Metal Pliable MoldableSubstances by combining them with ash from cremated animal or humanremains that is to be the basis of the memorial.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Ash from a cremated human or animal is pulverized slightly to reduce thesize of the particles to the approximate consistency of typical beachsand. The particle size does not need to be precise. Larger particlesadd more texture to the finished product and finer particles leave thefinished product with a smoother finish. The pulverized ash is thenmixed with a precious metal pliable moldable substance, in approximatelya ratio of 1:10 parts ash to precious metal pliable moldable substance.Other substances such as beach sand, hair, earth, plant, or flowerclippings may also be used to create a piece of memorial jewelryembodying the desired substance.

“Precious Metal Pliable Moldable Substances”, or “Clay ContainingPrecious Metals” are common terms used for a type of commerciallyavailable substance containing precious metal comprised of preciousmetal components of approximately 80% of gold, silver or other preciousmetals, mixed with organic binders and water. After firing, the endproduct is 99.9% pure silver or 24 k gold. Currently the best knownembodiments commercially available in the United States by registeredtrademark names are: Precious Metal Clay (PMC®) produced by MitsubishiMaterials Corp., and Art Clay®, sold by Aida Chemical Industries, bothheadquartered in Japan. Both companies have introduced several versionsof their product to meet different needs.

Typical examples of the best embodiment currently available by productmodel names would be PMC Original, PMC Plus, PMC 3, and PMC Goldmanufactured by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation and distributed in theUnited States by Rio Grande in Albuquerque. Also, Art Clay SilverStandard, Art Clay Silver Low Fire Series, and Art Clay Goldmanufactured by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan and distributed in theUnited States by Art Clay World in Oaklawn, Ill.

Once the precious metal pliable moldable substance and ash are mixed,and a jewelry design is selected, the mixture is formed either byfreehand, pushed into a mold, or manipulated in such a way as to form apiece of unfinished jewelry. The unfinished jewelry is next air driedand then fired in a kiln or torched by hand to a temperature notexceeding 1650 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes to 2 hours depending onthe type of clay containing precious metal that is used. All currentlyknown commercially available versions of precious metal pliable moldablesubstances can usually be fired together as long as the temperature doesnot go above 1650 degrees F. (900 degrees C.). Refer to FIG. 2 for anexample of the time and temperature schedules needed to achieve a densemetal suitable for creating the jewelry embodied by this inventionprocess. After firing the unfinished jewelry is cooled in water or airto approximately 70° F. and then polished by tumbler and/or by hand todesired smoothness. The memorial jewelry is then ready to wear or carry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 describes the process flow starting with the ashes from acremated human or animal, mixing the ashes with clay containing preciousmetal (aka a precious metal pliable moldable substance), forming ajewelry design, firing, and finishing the memorial jewelry.

FIG. 2 is a chart that describes the optimal time and temperature neededto achieve a dense metal suitable for creating the jewelry embodied bythis invention process using the best known embodiment comprised of thecommercially available products, PMC, PMC+, and PMC3 manufactured byMitsubishi Materials Corporation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an initial ash residue from a cremated human or animal (1)which is then pulverized slightly to reduce the size of the particles tothe approximate consistency of typical beach sand (2); The particles arethen mixed with clay containing precious metal (aka a precious metalpliable moldable substance) in approximately a ratio of 1:10 parts ashto clay containing precious metal by volume (3); Once the jewelry designis selected (4); the mixture is formed either by freehand, pushed into amold, or manipulated in such a way as to form a piece of unfinishedjewelry (5); The unfinished clay containing precious metal (aka aprecious metal pliable moldable substance) and ash mixture is then airdried (6); The clay containing precious metal (aka precious metalpliable moldable substance) and ash mixture is then fired in a kiln ortorched by hand to a temperature not exceeding 1650 degrees Fahrenheitfor 10 minutes to 2 hours depending on the type of clay containingprecious metal (aka precious metal pliable moldable substance) that isused (7); The fired jewelry is cooled in water or air to approximately70 degrees F. (8); and then polished by tumbler and/or by hand todesired smoothness (9); The memorial jewelry is now ready to wear orcarry (10).

FIG. 2 shows that the temperature and time for firing can be as long as30 minutes at 1,110 [deg] F. and as short as 10 minutes at 1,650 [deg]depending on what type of precious metal clay (aka precious metalpliable moldable substance) is being used.

1. A memorial product created from the cremation remains of a human oranimal comprising a mixture of cremation ash of the deceased human oranimal and a precious metal pliable moldable substance which has beenfired to create a functional article of jewelry.
 2. A process for themanufacture of memorial jewelry comprised of using a precious metalpliable moldable substance with pulverized cremation ashes of a decedentin approximately a 1:10 ratio of ash to the precious metal pliablemoldable substance by volume, working the mixture freehand, heating themixture to a temperature not less than 1110 degrees Fahrenheit and notexceeding 1650 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes to 2 hours, cooling theunfinished piece, and then polishing and finishing the piece into afunctional article of memorial jewelry.
 3. A process for the manufactureof memorial jewelry comprised of using a precious metal pliable moldablesubstance with pulverized cremation ashes of a decedent in approximatelya 1:10 ratio of ash to the precious metal pliable moldable substance byvolume, placing the mixture in a mold of the desired shape, heating themixture to a temperature not less than 1110 degrees Fahrenheit and notexceeding 1650 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes to 2 hours, cooling theunfinished piece, and then polishing and finishing the piece into afunctional article of memorial jewelry.
 4. A memorial product inaccordance with claim 1 wherein the cremation ash is in a particulatesize between 75 to 1000 microns.
 5. A memorial product in accordancewith claim 1 wherein the cremation ash is present with said preciousmetal pliable moldable substance in an amount no greater than (40%) byweight.
 6. A memorial product in accordance with claim 1 wherein afterthe unfinished piece is cooled it is annealed.
 7. The process for makinga memorial product in accordance with claim 1 wherein said preciousmetal pliable moldable substance can be further cut, polished, faceted,laser engraved, sand blasted or mechanically engraved to form a piece ofjewelry.
 8. A memorial product in accordance with claim 1 wherein anyother particulate substance having sentimental value is substituted forthe cremation ash.
 9. A memorial product in accordance with claim 2wherein the cremation ash is in a particulate size between 75 to 1000microns.
 10. A memorial product in accordance with claim 2 wherein thecremation ash is present with said clay containing precious metal in anamount no greater than (40%) by weight.
 11. A memorial product inaccordance with claim 2 wherein after the unfinished piece is cooled itis annealed.
 12. The process for making a memorial product in accordancewith claim 2 wherein said clay containing precious metal can be furthercut, polished, faceted, laser engraved, sand blasted or mechanicallyengraved to form a piece of jewelry.
 13. A memorial product inaccordance with claim 2 wherein any other particulate substance havingsentimental value is substituted for the cremation ash.
 14. A memorialproduct in accordance with claim 3 wherein the cremation ash is in aparticulate size between 75 to 1000 microns.
 15. A memorial product inaccordance with claim 3 wherein the cremation ash is present with saidclay containing precious metal in an amount no greater than (40%) byweight.
 16. A memorial product in accordance with claim 3 wherein afterthe unfinished piece is cooled it is annealed.
 17. The process formaking a memorial product in accordance with claim 3 wherein said claycontaining precious metal can be further cut, polished, faceted, laserengraved, sand blasted or mechanically engraved to form a piece ofjewelry.
 18. A memorial product in accordance with claim 3 wherein anyother particulate substance having sentimental value is substituted forthe cremation ash.